Kevin Sheedy searches for AFL talent in remote NT

AFL coach Kevin Sheedy has a history of discovering greats of the game and is turning to the remote Northern Territory community of Elcho Island in the search for new talent and hoping to change lives.

Transcript

TRACY BOWDEN, PRESENTER: In AFL-loving Top End Indigenous communities Kevin Sheedy is as close as it gets to football royalty. At Essendon he helped discover some of the greats of the game, including Tiwi Islander Michael Long.

He's now coaching Sydney's fledgling second team, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, and is again looking to the Northern Territory to find some future football stars.

Sheedy hopes a new relationship with the Aboriginal community on remote Elcho Island will unearth some new talent and change lives.

Danielle Parry reports.

DANIELLE PARRY, REPORTER: Football legend Kevin Sheedy is a long and bumpy plane ride away from the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground).

He's come to Elcho Island, 500km east of Darwin, to scout for new recruits.

(mixed vision of AFL teams playing)

Football is an obsession on this isolated island off the Territory's north coast.

The main community of Galiwinku has a population of just over 2,000. More than 700 of them play football in 32 local teams.

DANIELLE PARRY: It's a fast and free-flowing brand of football that's caught the Greater Western Sydney coach's eye.

KEVIN SHEEDY, COACH, GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY GIANTS: Ah well it's flair. It's Hollywood. I think that's what we like about the Indigenous players and we never want them to change that. They take little risks inside packs, their hands are gifted. I think they're very exciting players.

DANIELLE PARRY: Sheedy hopes there's a future star amongst them and is passionate in believing the sport can change lives.

KEVIN SHEEDY: I think football is definitely a bridge-building cable now and I think the Giants now could actually, by being up here and us coming up here, we can actually connect.

(to Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu) Well done on your career.

DANIELLE PARRY: The island is perhaps best known for its musical exports, including blind singing sensation Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu.

But Sheedy thinks Elcho could one day be just as famous for its footballers.

KEVIN SHEEDY: I think the boys, they've got speed. You just don't know what we're missing out on in the country when you see the speed of some of these boys that have never been trained to be athletes, let alone the skills of Aussie Rules.

DON WININBA GANAMBARR: When I was playing here, it was all gravel.

KEVIN SHEEDY: Yeah.

DANIELLE PARRY: The game has come a long way on Elcho from some very humble beginnings and the local football officials couldn't be more proud.

DON WININBA GANAMBARR, FOOTBALL ASSOC. CHAIRMAN: They started long time ago but they didn't have any jumpers. They were using paint to make a jumper on their skin but now it's really good that we know how to play football.

KEVIN SHEEDY: (to youngster) I could do it on the sleeve. Is that alright?

DANIELLE PARRY: Sheedy's visit to Elcho Island is the latest instalment in a career-long commitment to Indigenous football that's won him a legion of fans in the bush.

TAVIS PERRY, AFL NT: I think he is probably still the biggest name in Indigenous communities in particular in the AFL and it's very, very rare that there's someone that spans so many decades of footy and is so popular.

JERMAINE WUNUNGMURRA, AFL NT: It's good to have him out here and just a role model for the people out here - the kids, everyone, yeah. He's just an amazing bloke.

WILLIAM GUMBULA, AFL NT: Oh, everyone is excited - all community just gather round the church lawn and they're loving it. Everyone give the shirt for signature for Kevin Sheedy.

DANIELLE PARRY: At Essendon, Sheedy was a pioneer of Indigenous recruitment, unearthing many stars on the Tiwi Islands - the most famous among them, Norm Smith Medallist Michael Long.

TAVIS PERRY: He really put um Indigenous footballers on the map so to speak. He went by himself, I believe, to the Tiwi Islands and sort of formed the relationship there and everyone knows the success of Michael Long in particular and Sheed's just continues to beat the drum for Indigenous footballers and he's been so positive and proactive for all of them.

DANIELLE PARRY: Sheedy's Giants side is the youngest in the AFL and he hopes his players can be positive role models for Elcho's football loving teens.

KEVIN SHEEDY: There's not that much difference between the team I run out there and the 16 and 17-year-olds here and when you say that to these boys here today, that you know you're writing to and communicating with a person who's only two years older than you, that's pretty good.

DANIELLE PARRY: The Giants are just entering their second season in the AFL and Sheedy's keen to build their profile in Sydney and beyond.

But there's a long way to go after a bottom of the ladder finish last year.

KEVIN SHEEDY: Well it's all about relationships and we've got to earn our respect as the Giants, as a club, and I'm quite sure that the bridge we can build between here and Western Sydney will be marvellous.

(to local players) Who barracks for the Bombers in the AFL? One? Two. No? Giants?

PLAYERS: Yeah!!

DANIELLE PARRY: Meeting the Greater Western Sydney coach is a dream come true for Elcho's football fanatics and many hope it might one day open doors into football's big league.

JERMAINE WUNUNGMURRA: I hope one or two, three kids might get picked to play in the big top league and become one of, someone like Kev himself.

DANIELLE PARRY: The next Michael Long?

JERMAINE WUNUNGMURRA: The next Michael Long, next who knows hey?

DON WININBA GANAMBARR: I hope they would play for Kevin Sheedy. That's what my hope is - to have someone from here playing in the AFL. That would be really great and good for the community.